oil company bp Amoco Plc has said that it has commissioned an independent audit and verification of its greenhouse gas emissions as part of its goal to cut such emissions to 10 per cent below 1990 levels by the year 2010. An independent team would verify bp Amoco's emissions and develop the first industry emissions audit process consistent with international auditing standards. The team comprises financial auditors kpmg, environmental auditors Det Norske Veritas and icf Consulting, a us -based consultancy in assessing greenhouse gas emissions.

"This project forms an important part of bp Amoco's overall climate change programme,' said Bernie Bulkin, vice-president, Environment, for bp Amoco's downstream business and chairperson of the group's Climate Change Steering Group, in a statement. In 1998, bp Amoco's chief executive John Browne committed the group to reducing emissions as a contribution to the climate change debate.

Last September, bp Amoco introduced an internal pilot emissions trading scheme at 12 of its 126 units, and plans to extend the scheme.